I perceive you are quite understanding of the core problems.
Not likely.
Any other companies bidding for the lease that didn’t get the lease even though they had a higher bid, would have a record of what they bid and could blow the whole thing out of the water.
If that is all they paid for that amount of acreage, then it is a completely untested much less unproven area and other companies didn’t think it was worth the trouble.
The winners of the bid might end up making out like a bandit.